When I talk about emotional health a lot of what I mean is finding ways to become less status-oriented (or, in your own words, “not being distracted/influenced by competing motivations”).
To clarify this as well, when I said (or implied) that Eliezer was “distracted/influenced by competing motivations” I didn’t mean that he was too status-oriented (I think I’m probably just as status-oriented as him), but rather that he wasn’t just playing the status game which rewards careful philosophical reasoning, but also a game that rewards being heroic and saving (or appearing/attempting to save) the world.
I’ve now read/skimmed your Replacing Fear sequence, but I’m pretty skeptical that becoming less status-oriented is both possible and a good idea. It seems like the only example you gave in the sequence is yourself, and you didn’t really talk about whether/how you became less status-oriented? (E.g., can this be observed externally?) And making a lot of people care less about status could have negative unintentional consequences, as people being concerned about status seems to be a major pillar of how human morality currently works and how our society is held together.
To clarify this as well, when I said (or implied) that Eliezer was “distracted/influenced by competing motivations” I didn’t mean that he was too status-oriented (I think I’m probably just as status-oriented as him), but rather that he wasn’t just playing the status game which rewards careful philosophical reasoning, but also a game that rewards being heroic and saving (or appearing/attempting to save) the world.
I’ve now read/skimmed your Replacing Fear sequence, but I’m pretty skeptical that becoming less status-oriented is both possible and a good idea. It seems like the only example you gave in the sequence is yourself, and you didn’t really talk about whether/how you became less status-oriented? (E.g., can this be observed externally?) And making a lot of people care less about status could have negative unintentional consequences, as people being concerned about status seems to be a major pillar of how human morality currently works and how our society is held together.